From Alamy.com
According to Ernest Hutchenson’s book ‘Literature of the Piano’, it is a disservice to Elgar to mention his Salut d’amour, a trifle unworthy of him. Nevertheless, this piece of music has retained its charm and beauty since 1889 when it was first published.
By published by Schott & Co. London, artist unknown - Self-scanned, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3927965
Character/story of the piece - clearly the player should investigate the origins of this piece. It was Elgar’s first published work and it was written for his fiancée, Miss Caroline Alice Roberts. Initially the composition was called Leibesgruss (Love’s Greeting) because of his fiancée's fluency in German. The first editions of the piece were for violin and piano, cello and piano, solo piano and small orchestra. At first the composition did not sell very well until Elgar changed the name to Salut d’amour. Elgar realized that the composition having a French title would mean that it would be easier to sell in France and in other European countries. The player should listen to other recordings of this piece, especially those that are played by a violin. It would be advisable for the player to write some words to the music, as this will aid in projecting the character of the piece.
Form - essentially this piece is in binary form with an additional two bars at the start which serve as an introduction. There is a two bar transitory area at bars 17 and 18 and the second section is extended by three bars at the end. The key of the piece is D major.
Main part of the music - the main part of the music as in bar 30, and the dynamic level at this point should be forte as suggested by the editor. The player should be careful to not let the dynamics diminish too soon after the climax as there are five bars to be played before the ending of the piece.
Phrasing - the phrases in this piece are not of equal length however the phrase lengths are the same when comparing the two sections. Each section contains two phrases of four bars in length followed by a six bar phrase. The first two phrases of each section contain similar melodic material. The final phrase of each section (not withstanding the transition, introduction and ending bars) commences with similar material as the previous two phrases however the melodic material is expanded and brought to a satisfying conclusion by the end of the section. It would be wise to consider the third phrase of each section as an answer to the previous two phrases.
Tempo, time signature and rhythmic patterns - the suggested tempo of 69 crotchet beats per minute is appropriate for the style and character of the music. It is interesting to consider why Elgar shoes to use a duple time signature when composing this piece. Possibly he was influenced by his desire for the LH minims to be sustained throughout the bar. If he had used a quadruple time signature , he may have had to write LH semibreves which may have been too long to be adequately sustained throughout the bar. These LH minims contribute to the duple aspect of the music. Elgar has used some syncopated patterns in this piece and some players may find these a little difficult to play with ease.
Touch and articulation - obviously considering the character of this piece and also its origin, this piece must be played with a cantabile touch in the RH. However, the touch could be a little less cantabile in the RH in the second section. Perhaps the player could imagine that the RH is a cello in the first section and in the second section, a violin. The LH’s minims should be player with resonance and these should be sustained throughout the bar. The subsequent chords in the LH after the minims on the first beat of the bar should be played with a slight emphasis on the first one and a with a gentle staccato on the second one. The player must strictly observe the lifts in the RH. For example in the RH in bar 4, the player should gently lift on the first D, play the C sharp slightly detached and then slur the last D of the bar into the following bar.
Balance between the hands - clearly the melody is in the RH however this is not to say that the LH does not have an important role to play. Because of the register of the LH in the first section and because of the use of the pedal, the LH should not be too loud at this time. However, the LH should play a stronger role in the second section partly because the music is coming to a close but also because it is being played in a higher register.
Dynamics - the editor of this piece has provided a number of dynamics for the playing of this piece and this are particularly helpful when working out a dynamic scheme. Considering that the music is played at a comfortable speed the player will be required to play with considerable control of the dynamics. Players must always be conscious of where the phrase is leading to so that each phrase has purpose and momentum. Some players may find it difficult to play a diminuendo over a number of bars, as often they will drop the dynamics too soon. Lastly, even though the loudest dynamic is marked as forte, the player should ensure that the dynamics are not overly loud, there should be a richness and warmth without any harshness.
From National Portrait Gallery UK, photo in Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Template:PD-US
Pedal - this piece demands sophisticated pedaling skills that not all Grade 3 players would possess. There should be a gentle lift of the hands and pedal at the ends of the phrases such as in bars 6 and 10. This lift will require much work to perfect. Some players may find that using the pedal whilst playing a piece that is written in the first section in quite a low register in the LH will necessitate very careful pedaling skill so that the LH does not overpower the overall sound.
Rubato - clearly this is a Romantic piece in character and style and this is reinforced by the origin of its composition. As is always the case, less is more and this should definitely be applied when applying rubato. The editor has written in some agogic markings and these should be observed. Nevertheless, the player must ensure that when applying these markings the notes are not doubled in rhythmic value.
Considerations when playing this piece -
· The player is required to have excellent freedom around the keyboard as the music covers a large range of the piano.
· There are some lovely parts in the LH that should be highlighted.
· Notice how the second section commences with an upbeat.
· Notice how the texture thins in bars 15 and 16.
· It may be advisable to commence at a mezzoforte dynamic rather than a mezzoforte dynamic.
· Whenever a note is repeated the player must carefully consider tone-matching and how loud the note should be in relation to the overall dynamics of the phrase.
From personal ephemera collection.